Contents

Story

The New Worst Witch

When Hettie first comes to Cackle’s Academy, she hopes to not end up like her cousin Mildred Hubble, the "old" worst witch. Mildred has already finished Cackle's, but she drops Hettie off. Hettie makes friends with Ethel Hallow's sister, Mona and Crescentmoon "Cressie" Winterchild; a member of the Hedge Witch Community.

Hettie and Mona Hallow arrived late at the castle and caused a spectacle when they arrived surfing on a broomstick, crashing into the gutter and splashing Belladonna Bindweed, which is probably the reason why Belladonna hates Henrietta so much.[1]

Hettie, Cressie, Mona and Belladona

Hettie passes the Broomstick Aptitude Test, but Cressie fails. Hettie begs Miss Cackle to give Cressie a second chance, like she did with Mildred, and Cressie passes. When the student witches pass, they get given a cat. When Hettie wishes she'd rather have a dog, Belladonna makes her wish come true by turning the dog her grandmother sent her into a cat. Miss Cackle then lets Hettie keep the dog, which Hettie names Kitty.[2]

At the end of the year, Hettie gets her final chance to win the Golden Broomstick but it is awarded to Dyllis. Belladonna needs the broomstick more than anyone - she has been contacted by her grandmother and has set up a plan with Agatha Cackle and her coven to take over Cackle's Academy. The Evil Witches tell Belladonna that the golden broomstick holds special powers, Belladonna steals the golden broomstick from Dyllis and soon the Evil Witches have taken over the school. Miss Hardbroom is turned into a rat and the teachers and pupils are locked in the dungeons. Hettie tricks Belladonna into thinking that she has changed allegiances to the Evil Witch side. Hettie leads the attack and saves Cackle's from the Evil Witches.[3]

The following term, Hettie gets in serious trouble. Cackle's Academy operates a "three strikes and out" policy and Hettie has already had two warnings. If she gets another she will be expelled from the school forever. Cressie and Mona try to help her but Hettie thinks she has found the perfect solution to her problem when Caspian asks her to deliver a bottle of obedience potion to Miss Swoop. Hettie takes a large gulp and tops the bottle up with ink. At first it seems to work and Hettie is a model of good behaviour. But Belladonna finds out what she has done and sets Hettie a terrible task, which she MUST obey... Belladonna and Cynthia find this out so use it to get Hettie expelled. Mona and Cressie work on a plan to get her reinstated.[4]

Hettie with her cousin Mildred

Hettie has two pets, her dog Kitty, and a spider, Fang.

Personality and Traits

Hettie's character is different to her cousin Mildred. Mildred was clumsy and well-meaning, but trouble found her; Hettie is the exact opposite. She is confident, quite talented but overeager; she goes looking for trouble, often bending the rules her own way and persuading her friends to go along with it. She is always trying to pull off some scheme or other — usually to have them backfire on her.

To be fair, most of her plans would be harmless if it weren't for her malicious, ill-intentioned rival Belladonna Bindweed. This made a very different and fresh tone for the show. This is most notable in the way Miss Hardbroom addresses her, 'What are you doing Hubble!?" It is rather difficult to imagine Mildred ever being referred to in this way.

Relationships

Hettie is friends with Mona Hallow and Crescentmoon "Cressie" Winterchild and is sort-of-friends with Dyllis Mustardseed. She is also enemies with Belladonna Bindweed and Cynthia Horrocks. Miss Hardbroom dislikes Hettie and favors Belladonna and Cynthia.